Another big appointment for Kelly

That Joe Kelly has just been appointed manager of the Connacht side for the upcoming FAI Amateur Interprovincial Tournament, doesn’t surprise The Mayo News. Kelly’s handling of the Mayo Oscar Traynor side has been most impressive, with the county winning three on the bounce, while being crowned champions of the Connacht section of the competition, in the process. It is fair to say, too, that along the way, all the younger squad members (and maybe some of the older ones) have improved as players, under his guidance.

Kelly is a shrewd coach and has built a quality management team around him. But the most impressive aspect of his management, has been the team formations that he has deployed, and the discipline the players have shown on the park. The attention to detail, and the buy-in from the players, has transformed this squad into winners. The next challenge will be to see how they fare in the knock-out stages of the tournament, with a visit from Kerry to Solar 21 Park, in the middle of the month, the first hurdle that must be overcome.

Kelly is delighted to get the gig.

“It’s a great honour,” he told The Mayo News. “I don’t know if any Mayo person has held the post before. I certainly can’t remember any.  This is a very prestigious role, leading and coaching the outstanding talent we have in the region, for the tournament.  To be chosen to represent the association is the pinnacle of recognition.”

The tournament format, this year, presents a tough challenge for players and management. The competition will be held in Sligo from March 22 to 24, with participating teams, limited to twenty-man squads, playing three matches in three days. It’s a big ask for players, with no time for recovery from one match to the next.

“The tournament will be played in McSharry Park and The Showgrounds, and another, as yet unnamed ground” Joe said. “McSharry Park is astro, while the Showgrounds has a grass surface. I am not a fan of astro pitches. I think they are very false. But that’s the way it is gone in football now, all over the country, with the winter weather. In the Airtricity League, Athlone Town, Dundalk, Derry City, Kerry – they all play on astro. Anyway, we’ll have to get on with it.”

While Mayo players are likely to dominate the selection, Kelly may be a victim of his own success, with his additional role. If his Mayo side progress in the Oscar Traynor, the players, while match fit, will have had a couple of bruising encounters between now and the inter-provincial tournament. And of course the Mayo League will be underway, with all teams scrambling for points before the GAA season starts, and puts pressure on some of their players. If any of the Mayo players pick up injuries in the process, it could limit their involvement in the Connacht side.

While Kelly would understandably not speak of what Mayo players might make the Connacht squad, at this stage, the compressed fixture programme will have a big influence in who gets to play for the province.

This is a competition for players who are fully fit, don’t pick up injuries easily, and are on form. Age too, could well be a factor. Three matches in three days on different surfaces at the end of March will suit a limited demographic.

This favours Mayo players in a way; the Mayo league will have only commenced, while the other leagues in the province will be nearer the end of their campaign. The Mayo players should be sharper while players from other leagues could be tired after a tough winter season.

Kelly will hardly call-up a different bunch of Mayo players to represent Connacht, so he’ll be watching injuries, knocks and form, before finally deciding, which members of the county’s Oscar Traynor panel, will be included in the twenty.

Depending on fitness, Gary Cunningham, Stefan Hester, Cillian McGlade, Cillian Redmond, Oran Groarke, Jamie Cawley, Darren Browne and Ben Edeh, could expect to be on the initial squad. Ioseph O’Reilly, too, might make the squad. Jordan Loftus and Benny Lavelle, might be included in the extended squad, depending on their fitness nearer the time. Both are currently recovering from injury. Jack O’Connor could possibly make it too. Andrew Shally, who is just coming back from injury will hardly make the cut.

The winners of the tournament, will go on to represent Ireland internationally, in the UEFA Regions Cup 2024/2025. This is the competition Gary Cunningham has been involved in, these past couple of seasons.

Kelly told The Mayo News that he had great buy-in, to date, from the big Galway clubs, like Mervue United, Salthill and Athenry, and expected they would play big role in the squad selection. Gary Cunningham, while experienced at this level, could face very stiff competition from the likes of Athenry ’keeper, TJ Forde for the number one shirt.

“The process now is that I send in a provisional squad to Gerry Tully, the Connacht Secretary,” Kelly said. “He will then contact the clubs whose players are involved. Then we’ll have three sessions; on February 8, 15 and 22. When we finish that process and name the twenty-man squad, that’s when we go into real preparation then. The weekend format is how this tournament has always been run.  It’s a very well run weekend with high stakes in a short timeframe.”

Kelly will be assisted by a very experienced coaching team comprising of Eamonn Daly, who is his assistant in the Mayo set-up. Ger ‘Hopper’ McGrath, who played for Galway United and now coaches in the county, and Neil McKenna from Sligo, competes the management team.